1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to messaging within mobile telecommunications networks. More particularly, the present invention relates to improved multi-way messaging between mobile subscribers with enabled forwarding.
2. Background of the Invention
Short Message Service (SMS) is a service available on most digital mobile telephones, and other mobile devices like pocket-PCs, or even laptop and desktop computers. SMS permits the transmitting of short messages between mobile telephones, other handheld devices and even landline telephones.
In SMS, messages are sent via a store-and-forward mechanism to a Short Message Service Centre (SMSC), which will attempt to send the message to the recipient. If the user is not reachable at a given moment, the SMSC will save the message. When the user is reachable, the SMSC will retry the delivery process. Both Mobile Terminated (MT), for messages sent to a mobile handset, and Mobile Originating (MO), for those that are sent from the mobile handset, operations are supported. Transmission of the short messages between SMSC and a telephone can be done through different protocols such as SS7 within the standard GSM MAP framework, or TCP/IP within the same standard. Routing data, originating and destination addresses, and message length are among the metadata that make up the message payload.
The idea of adding text messaging to the services of mobile users was latent in many communities of mobile communication services at the beginning of the 1980s. Initial growth was slow, with customers in 1995 sending on average only 0.4 messages per GSM customer per month. However, by the end of 2000, 17 billion messages were sent, and in 2001, 250 billion messages were sent. By mid-2004, SMS messages were being sent at a rate of 500 billion messages per annum. At an average cost of $0.10 per message, this generates revenues in excess of $50 billion for mobile telephone operators and represents close to 100 text messages for every person in the world.
There has been little advancement to messaging technology over cellular networks. Although SMS is forward compatible with 3G and better infrastructures, the basic process has remained the same. There exists the Enhanced Messaging Service (EMS) that enables mobile phones to send and receive messages that have special text formatting, animations, pictures, icons, sound effects and ring tones. There also exists the Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS) with which a mobile device can send and receive multimedia messages such as graphics, video and audio clips, and so on.
However, the problem still exists that sometimes, a message cannot be delivered to the recipient for a number of reasons. The recipient's phone may be switched off, damaged, unable to receive messages for some reason. More importantly, the recipient may own multiple wireless devices and would prefer to have any messages that are unable to reach the primary device be forwarded to the secondary device. For instance, the recipient may own a mobile phone with a number that is local to an area where many clients are located. However, the recipient himself is located in a different area code, and may own a second device having a number for that code. In such a case, the recipient would like to ensure seamless communication between himself and his clients.
Forwarding mechanisms for SMS are limited. Voice call forwarding is well defined in the GSM specification, but there is no supplementary service defined for SMS Forwarding. Even if SMS messages can be forwarded to a secondary device per the recipient's instructions, the recipient's reply will originate from the secondary device, which has potential to confuse the original sender.
What is lacking in conventional devices and is needed is a system that allows a mobile subscriber to assign a “virtual” identity based on a primary device that he owns and that is registered with the mobile operator. The MSISDN (telephone number or address) of this primary device can be the subscriber's contact number that he gives out to clients, friends, family, etc. If, for any reason, it becomes impractical or impossible for this device to receive messages, the subscriber would own a second device with a different MSISDN, and incoming messages can be forwarded to that secondary device. This system would also provide for the subscriber being able to reply to the message using the secondary device, and having the message appear to be sent from the primary device.